Curtis Salgado headlines THPRD concert finale this Saturday

ROSS WILLIAM HAMILTON/The OregonianCurtis Salgado will be the headliner at the "date night" concert in Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District's summer series.

The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District will close its 2011 seasonal entertainment series this Saturday, Aug. 13, with a first-ever "Summer Celebration Concert" featuring legendary Portland blues and soul singer Curtis Salgado.

Rather than stage the event at a local neighborhood park, where other THPRD concerts are held, the event will be held at the Park District's Howard M. Terpenning (HMT) Recreation Complex, 158th and Walker Road, Beaverton. Admission is free.

In another first, the concert is a date-night event, geared for couples and adults. Food and alcohol will be for sale, but as is the case with all THPRD concerts, no alcohol will be allowed from the outside.

Gates will open at 5 p.m. Special pre-concert music featuring the swinging Latin jazz sounds of the Bobby Torres Ensemble will begin at 6 p.m., followed by The Curtis Salgado Big Band at 7:30.

Margaret Linn, a former lead vocalist for Bobby Torres, will provide background vocals for Salgado. Two top local musicians, trumpet player Dave Mills and saxophonist Gary Harris of the group Soul Vaccination, will perform as well.

Salgado, an annual favorite at Portland's Waterfront Blues Festival, is regarded as one of America's top blues and soul singers. For more information about him, go to www.curtissalgado.com

Parking will be available at 158th and Walker Road and also at the north parking lot of HMT near NW Schlottman Place and NW Blueridge Drive. Spaces for ADA-permitted vehicles will be reserved at all entrances. All parking is free.

The concert will be THPRD's eighth of the summer in an entertainment series that began July 7 with Quarterflash at Garden Home Park. The series also included two theatrical performances.

Formed in 1955, THPRD is the largest special park district in Oregon, spanning about 50 square miles and serving more than 200,000 residents in the greater Beaverton area. The district provides year-round recreational and educational opportunities for people of all ages. Offerings include a wide variety of classes and more than 200 park sites, 60 miles of trails, eight swim centers, six recreation centers, and 1,300 acres of natural areas. For more information, visit www.thprd.org or call 503/645-6433.